The Queenstown Lakes District Council announced yesterday the Heritage New Zealand category 1 historic place, which was added to the IPENZ Engineering Heritage Register in 2013, had been closed indefinitely.
Nomad Safaris business manager Harald Ulriksen said Skippers Canyon was "an iconic part of what we do".
It runs The Lord of the Rings tours, one of which includes Skippers, as well as a Skippers Canyon four-wheel-drive tour, both of which had been adapted.
Mr Ulriksen said the company was "disappointed" to hear about the bridge’s indefinite closure, but encouraged the council to "prioritise repairs".
"We welcome any discussions on how businesses and the Queenstown community can support reopening Skippers Bridge," he said.
The council said the bridge’s future would now be considered by elected members through the annual planning process and prioritised against other district investments.
Construction of the 2.2m-wide, 96.3m-long bridge began in 1889, before it was opened on March 28, 1901 — 125 years ago.
Sitting 91.4m above the Shotover River, it is the highest suspension bridge in the country.
Council acting property and infrastructure general manager Roger Davidson said due to its age and risk profile, the bridge was subject to an annual inspection.
Late last year, "failures of the wires in the cables used to suspend Skippers Bridge in place" were detected, meaning the council had been unable to safely assess what load the bridge could support and its integrity.
"Given the potential risk, keeping the bridge closed ensures we can keep the public as safe as possible while remediation work is considered in the future," Mr Davidson said.
He acknowledged the continued closure would have a "significant effect" on residents in the area, tour companies and recreational users, but said public safety was of the "utmost importance" and urged the public to abide by signs and barriers in the area and not to attempt to cross the bridge.
The bridge provides access to the Mt Aurum Recreation Reserve, home to the historic Mt Aurum Homestead and Skippers Point School.
It was also a drawcard for tourists, he said.
In 2010, the council spent $30,000 on repairs to the bridge after a member of the public asked for an inspection — at that time, some of the structure’s cross-members were found to have shifted, and a crack was developing in some of the transoms.
